The present disclosure generally relates to grain harvesters (or combines) and more particularly to an articulated grain harvester.
The subject of an articulated harvester, some of which are based on current commercial grain harvester designs, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,317,326, 4,428,182, 6,012,272, 6,125,618, 6,339,917, 6,604,351, 6,606,844, 6,604,995, 6,604,350, 6,484,485, 6,612,101, 6,233,911, 6,240,711, and 6,167,982. A harvester/grain cart combination can be converted to an “articulated” combine as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,845. Various grain handling and grain unloading techniques are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,143,863 and 7,198,449. The disclosures of these patents are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Most of the articulated combines cited above exhibit compromised design features due to the design basis being limited to current commercial grain harvester designs. For example, current commercial grain harvester designs have an onboard grain bin with the forward bogey along with grain heads, cleaners, etc. That does not make such designs faulty, as they represent a substantial advancement in the harvester art for manufactures that want to maintain current grain harvester architecture.
A departure from the art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,272, however, in that the forward bogey is devoid of an on-board grain bin, but carries the operator's cab, engine, grain harvesting assembly, and grain transfer assembly. The rear bogey has the on-board grain bin and steerable powered wheel assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,917 discloses a similar articulated combine where the forward bogey is devoid of an on-board grain bin, but carries the operator's cab, engine, grain harvesting assembly, and grain transfer assembly. The rear bogey has the on-board grain bin and a powered wheel assembly. Tracks, one wheel pair, and two wheel pairs, are illustrated for the harvester.
The presently disclosed articulated combine is based on a different steering philosophy for the rear bogey as well as for crabbing the rear bogey; on a different grain unloading philosophy; and other different philosophies, as disclosed herein.